Study of ammonium contamination in leachates from an Ultisol following application of various types of amendment

The composition of leachates from an Ultisol reconstructed in lysimeters an d amended with limestone, sugar foam waste and gypsum rock was studied. The typical rainfall of the area from which the soil was collected was simulat ed under laboratory conditions over a five-month period. The soil samples t reated with gypsum behaved markedly differently from the rest. Thus, the sa mples amended with gypsum gave leachates with substantially increased ammon ium contents that might result in contamination of aquifers. The gypsum-tre ated samples also exhibited marked differences in pH, EC and the Ca, Mg, Na and K contents from the rest.